The £330m Forestmill village development, which is set to be built near Alloa, Clackmannanshire, has been handed planning permission by the local authority.

Clackmannanshire Council's decision to approve the development proposals follows the Scottish Government's announcement in June that a public inquiry into the scheme had been scrapped due to the approval of the Clackmannanshire Structure Plan 3rd Alteration. Fife-based developer The Muir Group now expects work to get underway on the project within the next three years, which will include a new 100-bedroom hotel, a championship-standard golf course and a housing development.

A range of community and leisure facilities - such as a bowling green, tennis courts and a leisure centre - are also proposed as part of the development, which will see the restoration and upgrade of Meadowhill open cast mine. Eddie Carrick, Clackmannanshire Council's portfolio holder for sustainability, said: "This is a real boost for Clackmannanshire. This development will see £330m of private sector investment in the area, creating nearly 1000 jobs. It shows that the work the council has done to build better transport links and promote the area has really paid off.

"The Muir Group is in a strong position to see the development through, making an ambitious project a viable reality for the people of Clackmannanshire." The council's planning committee convenor, Alistair Campbell, added: "Our work with The Muir Group over the past decade has brought this application to fruition and their commitment to developing in Clackmannanshire further demonstrates the attractiveness of Clackmannanshire as a location with good transport links which offers an excellent quality of life."